Lion King is one of my favourite Disney movies but today we’re talking Lion Queen. Deep in the heart of Zambia’s spectacular Kafue National Park lives a very special lioness whose name is rightly Queen. Ben Goodheart who works for Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) in Kafue shares Queen’s story:
"In 2013 ZCP de-snared Queen, who is the matriarch of Papyrus Pride. Wire snaring in the papyrus swamps of the beautiful Busanga Plains in Kafue National Park, is an all too common occurrence. This is why ZCP radio-collars and regularly monitors lions that utilize these areas. The collar enabled ZCP teams to quickly respond and de-snare this iconic lion. Today Busanga is dominated by lions of the papyrus pride who are seen almost daily, all lions in this legendary pride are descendants from Queen. Without the removal of this snare, Queen would have likely died a slow, painful death, and Busanga would be a very different looking place."
A happy ending thanks to ZCP working in partnership with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife. I think what is most inspiring about conservation is the people who work tirelessly making it happen. People like Ben who care about our world’s wild places. The research and monitoring that ZCP carries out across Zambia is invaluable in the fight against snare poaching. We’re proud to support them and grateful that you enable us to do so by enjoying our jewellery.
By Antonia Gillett